How to Save Water Every Day
Fresh water is one of our most important substances for preserving life. And while our blue planet is made up of roughly 70% water, only about 1% of it is drinkable. With now close to 7 billion people cohabiting this planet alongside other beautiful creatures, we ought to realize that water needs to be treasured and not wasted or polluted. Our survival and those of generations to come all depend on it.
A public opinion poll by the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, indicates that water is now the top environmental issue in the British Columbia with 62% of BC residents saying that they are concerned about the pollution of lakes, rivers, and streams, even topping concerns about climate change (59%) and deforestation (55%).
And not surprisingly, the number one way of addressing this issue is by changing consumption habits and lifestyles. And there’s no better time to start than now.
WasteLess Water Saving Guide
This WasteLess Water Saving Guide provides you with many awesome tips to reduce your water consumption and have a positive, earth-aware impact.
$0.00 $15.00
Table of Contents
The Right to Water is a Human Right
In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to water and sanitation as a basic human right. This means that every person on the planet has the right to “sufficient, continuous, safe, physically accessible and affordable drinking water.” This is, unsurprisingly, at odds with CEOs of corporations like Néstle who’s CEO Peter Brabeck stated in 2013, that he believes it should be privatized.
We do agree with him that water should carry a value to avoid that is being wasted, but in our opinion, this also means that it shouldn’t be considered a “raw material” that can be “extracted” and sold, but rather that corporations who wish to use this water also have to pay their fair share to reflect the value of water; a share equal to or higher than the amount that citizens are paying, to avoid having water labelled as “raw material” that can be tapped by big corporations for mere cents and then sold back to citizens for a 2,000% profit.
Why Save Water?
Today, 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water (Source) and because of climate change and population growth, this number is only going to increase. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, half the world’s population may no longer have access to safe water.
And Canada is not, and will not be spared. According to the Council of Canadians, as of November 2021, there are almost 100 drinking water advisories in effect in First Nations communities. This shows that even in a developed country, such as Canada, not every person has access to safe drinking water. Some of these advisories have been in effect for over 20 years, yet little is done to rectify the issue. Some of the reasons why these persist is the lasting impact of colonization, such as the government prioritising “resource extraction” projects over the water supply to its population.
Water consumption is yet another area where we can, and should, learn from First Nations communities, since water scarcity will at some point impact all of us.
‘Water scarcity’ can refer to:
- scarcity caused by the government’s failure to ensure a safe water supply, for example by providing or maintaining the necessary infrastructure
- scarcity due to a physical shortage of water, such as there not being sufficient water available
According to UN Water, the world’s water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of the increase in population, and 70% of the world’s water supply is used for agriculture, 19% is used for industrial consumption and domestic use lies at 11%.
Because 70% of the world’s water supply is used for agriculture, this is yet another reason why we need to ensure that no food is being wasted.
How to Save Water
Here are just a few simple tricks to save water at home. For more tips and tricks, feel free to download our WasteLess Water Saving Guide.
Water-Saving Habits for the Bathroom
- Use a WaterSense® certified or low-flow shower head. “Low-flow” means it uses less than 10 litres per minute. WaterSense certification means that it uses less than 7.5 litres per minute.
- Alternatively, you may also be able to install an adjustable flow-reducer on your existing shower head. This can reduce water waste in the shower by 25% (according to some manufacturers).
- If you wait for your shower water to reach a certain temperature before jumping in, you may consider collecting the cold water in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet (bucket flush), water the plants, or for cleaning.
- Limit your shower to 3-5 minutes. If you’re having trouble with estimating your time, you can use a timer until that habit is set or listen to about 1-2 short songs while in the shower. Depending on how often you shower, this could save up to 4,000 litres of water per month. Taking cold showers will usually encourage you to reduce shower time, so consider this option.
- Don’t shower every day. It’s not good for the planet or your skin. According to dermatologists, it’s best to shower around 2-3 times a week.
- Identify leaks quickly and fix them.
Water-Saving Habits for the Kitchen
- When defrosting frozen foods, plan ahead and defrost in the fridge overnight rather than thawing them in water.
- Don’t clean and/or peel fruits or vegetables under running water. Instead clean them in 3-5 cm of water in the sink or bowl. You can also simply scrub them with a vegetable brush.
- Collect the water you use for cleaning your fruits and vegetables. You can use it to water your houseplants or even to soak the dishes until they’re ready to be washed.
- Cook your food with less water. Besides the water and energy savings, this also keeps more nutrients in the food. That’s because food that touches water loses water-soluble vitamins and minerals to the water, while these are preserved in food that is steamed.
- Use your vegetable cooking water, particularly the water infused with vitamins and minerals as mentioned in the previous point, for soups and sauces.
Together, we can all make a difference! Together we can REDUCE water and create a WasteLess Society.
Thank you for being part of our WasteLess Society!
WasteLess Water Saving Guide
This WasteLess Water Saving Guide provides you with many awesome tips to reduce your water consumption and have a positive, earth-aware impact.
$0.00 $15.00